George Romney in Liverpool. (Report from Europe).(portrait exhibit)(Brief Article)

The latter part of the eighteenth century in England was rich in fashionable portrait painters. It was the age of Reynolds, Gainsborough, Lawrence, and Romney Of this quartet George Romney is arguably the least known. He was born in 1734 in Dalton-in-Furness, Lancashire (now Cumbria), the son of a builder and cabinetmaker. He showed an early talent for painting and although largely self-taught, he had spent some time with an itinerant portraitist in northern England before settling in London in 1762. Apart from two visits to Cumbria to see his wife and children, and to paint commissions, Romney remained in London. His portraits were soon in demand, and in the early 1770s he made the obligatory trip to Italy When he returned to England in 1775 he incorporated classical statues into his portraits and became skillful at handling drapery. Romney was prolific and successful, but, following a dispute with Reynolds, he never exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. However, he was a member of the board of d irectors ...